George Clooney has banked over $50 million promoting one of the consumer world’s worst environmental disasters, the former chief of Nespresso has said.

Jean-Paul Gaillard told the ABC the $17 billion coffee pod industry – which Clooney has been the face of for a decade – is discarding billions of the non-degradable aluminium casings into landfill each year.

Clooney, a self-described environmentalist and husband of human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, has been Nespresso’s brand ambassador since 2006, appearing in advertisements all over the world.

The company is owned by food giant Nestle, which battled image problems of its own after promoting milk powder over breastfeeding in developing countries

Mr Gaillard said he had written to Clooney and detailed the environmental ramifications of the product – to no response.

“What is clear is that someone who is meant to be pro-environment and everything [is] promoting something which is polluting,” he said.

Pods take centuries to break down

Despite being its long-time ambassador, Clooney appeared in his first US Nespresso ad only last year.

In a statement at the time, he praised the company for its environmental responsibility.

“Nespresso and I have a shared commitment to sustainability, most recently helping to rebuild coffee farms in South Sudan. They are an incredibly responsible company, and I am excited to expand my partnership with them into the US.”

Each pods’ colour gives away its strength and variety. Photo: Getty

In Australia, the brand asks customers bring their empty capsules back to Nespresso stores or special collection points for recycling at the company’s tailored plant. From there, the capsules are turned into food packaging, window frames and bicycles.

Clooney married high-powered lawyer Amal Clooney in 2014. Photo: Getty

Nespresso does not reveal how many of its pods are recycled, but says it currently has the capacity to collect 86 per cent of capsules worldwide.

Mr Gaillard told the ABC the complicated process was not viable.

“Aluminium capsules have to be shredded, the coffee has to be taken away with water, the varnish to be burnt and aluminium has to be re-smelted again. You need a lot of transportation and energy,” he said.

Mr Gaillard now runs sustainable pod producer Ethical Coffee Company.

The capsules don’t contain “one single molecule of petrochemical origin element. It is very difficult, a bit more expensive”, he said.

“People shouldn’t sacrifice the environment for convenience.”

The Clooney contradictions

Despite his involvement with Nespresso, there is no denying George Clooney has used his star power to draw attention to the environmental movement.

Clooney calling for change back in 2007. Photo: Vanity Fair

Back in 2007, he appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair‘s first ‘green’ issue, alongside Al Gore.

He has owned only electric cars for the past decade, produced the world’s first carbon neutral film (Syriana) and has publicly claimed to spend most of his Nesprsso earnings on a satellite above Sudan “to keep an eye on Omar al-Bashir [the Sudanese dictator charged with war crimes]”.

Clooney visited Nespresso’s coffee farms in Costa Rico three years ago and said he was satisfied with the operation.

Of course, the actor isn’t the only high-profile entertainer lending his name to the brand.

Fellow stars Jack Black, John Malkovich and Danny DeVito have also hopped on the Nespresso wagon over the years, as well as Australian actress Nicky Whelan.

See Whelan, Black and Clooney in the ad below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5QdLFip8iU

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story stated Nespresso rewarded Club Members who brought back their pods with vouchers. This was incorrect.